Harry Pollard wrote: > > Keith, > > A clash of cultures! > > Football here consists of huge armored males colliding with each other for > 60 minutes. One can get hurt playing soccer, one can get killed playing > American football.
My favorite football position is the field-goal kicker. I believe he can be a wimp. Everybody protects him. All he needs to do is what nobody else on the team could even come close to doing: an act of "sharp shooting". He doesn't have to work overtime. He doesn't have to work very often. He simply has to do what nobody else can do when it needs to be done. He workd *quality time*, not quantity. I trust everyond can appreciate why I like this football role. In his book _The Ultimate Athlete_, Dr. George Leonard describes the mystical experiences quarterbacks and receivers have in completing long passes, but which they would only talk with him about on condition of anonymity because they feared they would lose their jobs if "people" (remember them?) fount out about it. We wouldn't want to let the cat out of the bag, would we? \brad mccormick > > Although, there is a very occasional example of a girl trying to > quarterback - I don't think she lasts long. Perhaps not after the males > forget their built in reflexes and proceed to cream her. (shudder) > > Harry > >------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Keith wrote: > > >Ed, > > > >Just for now: > > > >At 14:13 21/10/02 -0400, you wrote: > ><<<< > >What can men still do that women can't? Well, they can still play football. > > >>>> > > > >Don't you believe it! > > > >It's my triplet grand-daughters' 9th birthday in a few days. I had no idea > >what to give them as presents, of course, but under advice from my > >daughter, I have now bought them (a) a dressing gown for Julia; (b) a set > >of "How to Draw" books for Kate; (c) a football and a pair of football > >boots for Helen. > > > >(They are, needless to say, non-identical twins with entirely different > >sets of genes -- otherwise it might easily have been three pairs of boots.) > > > >Keith > > > > > > > > >As a male member of the species, I must admit that I've felt myself to be in > > >a long retreat during the past half century. When I attended university in > > >the 1950s, there were plenty of women there, but almost all of them were > > >taking home ec or nursing. There were a few oddballs. A few were taking > > >law, and one was actually taking engineering! From what I've read about > > >universities recently, there may indeed be more women taking professional > > >courses than men. Ads for business schools offering MBAs typically show a > > >bright and shiny young woman who is obviously going to make it. > > > > > >I attend the odd meeting at the local high school because I have a 17 year > > >old daughter who is about to graduate. I'm one of the few males there. > > >School council is about 90% female, and student council, this year, is all > > >young women. The Principal is a woman, as is one of the two VPs and most of > > >the teachers. Before high school, my daughter attended an "alternative" > > >school which encouraged parental participation in school policy and the > > >classroom. About 90% of parents who participated were women. > > > > > >Women have become at least equal if not dominant in fields other than > > >education. During the course of my career as civil servant, I saw them move > > >out of the steno pool and into some really high-powered executive offices, > > >including those of Deputy and Assistant Deputy Minister. A few months ago, > > >I attended a mining conference in Canada's high Arctic. Some of the most > > >formidable mining executives and bureaucrats in attendance were women. > > > > > >What can men still do that women can't? Well, they can still play football. > > >And there are some crazy channels on TV that feature things like riding a > > >bicycle up a ramp and doing several loops on it before it hits the ground. > > >I don't think I've seen a woman do that yet. But, maybe soon? > > > > > >Is there a message in all of this? Perhaps we were meant to be matriarchal, > > >but got it wrong to begin with. Some societies may have got it right. > > >Northern Athapaskan (Dene) Indians are matriarchal. To quote a Dene woman I > > >once talked to in the Mackenzie Valley: "We let men be boys till they're > > >forty. Then we make them get serious!" That may be the natural order of > > >things. > > > > > >Ed > > > > > >PS: I've only been to Japan once, but I remember seeing a lot of students in > > >dark uniforms. Above their feet, they all looked alike. But their feet > > >were something else. Every colour of running shoe imaginable! Ah...., self > > >expression! > > > > > >Ed Weick > > ****************************** > Harry Pollard > Henry George School of LA > Box 655 > Tujunga CA 91042 > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Tel: (818) 352-4141 > Fax: (818) 353-2242 > ******************************* > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > > --- > Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. > Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). > Version: 6.0.404 / Virus Database: 228 - Release Date: 10/15/2002 -- Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works.... (Matt 5:16) Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. (1 Thes 5:21) <![%THINK;[SGML+APL]]> Brad McCormick, Ed.D. / [EMAIL PROTECTED] ----------------------------------------------------------------- Visit my website ==> http://www.users.cloud9.net/~bradmcc/
